Car door



0d. 24, 1939. K J, TQBlN 2,177,338

v CAR DOR Filed-Jan. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l NIMH ollo

Oct. 24, 1939. K 1 TQB|N 2,177,338

CAR DOOR Filed Jan. 28, 1938 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE CAR DOOR Application January 28, 1938, Serial No. 187,357

10 Claims. Cl. 16-99) This invention relates to car doors and more particularly to doors of the lift type for railway freight cars.

It is an object of this invention to provide doors for freight cars adapted to be frictionally supported when not being moved and to be elevated and supported upon either balls or rollers for movement between open and closed positions.

A further object is to provide lift doors of the character above set forth utilizing runways fixed against longitudinal movement wherein frictional support of the doors is insured when the lifting mechanism becomes inoperative.

' A further object is to provide lift doors having swinging runways and capable of support upon balls or rollersfor movement between open and closed positions.

A further object is to provide lift doors having swinging runways adapted when in horizontal vposition to supportv the doors during closing and opening travel upon the periphery of balls or rollers and to permit automatic lowering movementof the doors when swung to inclined position.

Other objects yof vthe invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a lift door embodying the invention, the door being i1- lustrated in its lowered and closed position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the door being illustrated in its open and elevated position.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figurefi is a vertical section taken on line i-flof Figure l.

Figure 5 is an end View of the door taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on line 'l-T of Figure 2, parts being omitted for the sake of l clarity.

Figure 8 is a plan view of supporting rollers and their connecting carriage.

yReferring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, there is shown a metallic door I@ whose construction embodies a metallic panel II preferably provided with spaced horizontal corrugations in the body thereof. At their ends the corrugations I2 merge into vertical corrugations I3 and I4 formed in the panel adjacent the vertical edges thereof. At its lower margin the panel II is offset outwardly as indicated at I5 so as to provide a Vertical depending flange I6 spaced outwardly from the main plane of the panel. A metallic backing plate I'I is secured to the main plane of o the panel I I as by means of rivets above the outwardly offset ylower margin thereof and extends downwardly in substantially the main plane of the panel to cooperate with the offset margin to provide a housing or channel within which il) lifting mechanism hereinafter described is housed. The front vertical margin of the panel is reinforced by means of a substantially channel shaped member I8 and the rear vertical margin of the panel is reinforced by means of an angle i5 member I9.

Inasmuch as the door is of the lift type it is arranged to be frictionally supported upon a track 2l) and for this purpose the front and rear vertical stiifeners are extended so that they may 20 engage the track as clearly illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 5 of the drawings. The track 20 is preferably in the form of an angle, the horizontal leg 2| of said track serving as the tread. The vertical leg 22 of the track extends downwardly 25 from said tread for a purpose hereinafter set forth. By means of brackets 23 fastened to the horizontal leg 2I of the track as by rivets said track is rigidly secured to the side sill 24 of the car underframe.

Lifting mechanism is provided for elevating the door above the'track and disposing it for support upon anti-frictional means in the form of rollers or balls for easy movement between closed and open'positions. As hereinabove set forth 35 this mechanism is housed and hence protected within the channel provided by the outwardly offset lower margin of'the panel I I and the backing plate II. Such mechanism comprises a plurality of runways 25-25 swingably mounted upon the 40 doors as more clearly shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. To this end a U-shaped member 26 disposed with its anges 21-21 extending upwardly is utilized. A pin 28 passes through these anges and the ends thereof find bearing in plates 45 29-29 secured as by welding to the ange I6 and the backing plate I1 respectively. I'he runways 25`25 are channel shaped in section with the flanges 30-30 extending downwardly. Each of the runways is secured to the member 26 pref- 50 erably by welding together the web SI of said member and the web 32 of the runway. The remote ends of the runways are closed by means of flanges 33-33.

Rollers 34-34 are shown for the purpose of 55 supporting the door during its travel upon the track 20. The instant invention is not limited to rollers but obviously may utilize balls for supporting the door. The rollers 34-34 are connected and maintained in properly spaced relationship by means of a carriage 35 which as more clearly illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings is ,preferably formed .of a metallic strap memberiS to each endvof which is secured offset plate members 31-31. The rollers are disposed between these offset plate members and .are mounted upon pins 38-38 received within openings formed in the plate members.

The lifting mechanism embodies additionally spaced bell cranks 39-39-39 pivoted intermediate their ends to the door. An additional vbell crank 4Q is provided and constitutes an extension of the actuating lever 4l. 'The bell crank 40 vis also pivoted to the door. The upper ends Aof each of the bell cranks are pivoted to a connecting bar 42 "which is preferably a'ttened as indicated .iat 43,1411 and 45 xforfthe 'purpose of said :pivotal-connections. The'.pivotalfconnection between the combined lever and'k'bell crankand the vconnecting -bar 4'2 .lis :preferably obtained by means of y1a lpin 46 formed integrally therewith.

By reason lof the connecting bar @42 it will be apparent that simultaneousrotation -will be imparted to the bell cranks. .At their remaining ends" the bell cranks are provided with rollers 41.

It will be observedfromFigures 1 and 2 of the drawings `that'tl'le"lever-4l is extended upwardly through :the housing so wasl to be .available for operation ofthe door such extensionbeing per- `with the runways and the :door is inits lowered positionso that A'frictional engagement between the vertical reinforcing members I8 and I9 and lthe trackZll is established thereby preventing longitudinal 2movement of the door upon the track. '-When itis desired to move thedoor from fthe y'extreme'position v@shown 'in Figure 1 of the drawings to the extreme position fillustrated in Figure 2 where the 'door is fullyropen,the actuating lever 4| is swung in counterclockwise direc- -tionthereby actuating fthe connecting bar 42 and v4215---25 in the vicinity o'fthe rollers 34-341 thereby exerting a lifting vforce upon'thedoor through the pins pivotally maintainingfsaid bell cranks. 'Thedoor is thus velevated and during the eleva- -tion thereof the runways l"Z5- 25 vwill be swung from their inclined position to the Vhorizontal position showninFigure 2 of the drawings. When this .position the remaining bell cranks 39-39 will pro-vide abutments for the runways. The ,door may'then readily be imoved to the position y:shown in vFigure 2 Aof the drawings upon the sup- -portingrollers v34`3JL Duringthis movement the door will be retained and `guided upon the track '.by .means .of fthe guiding and retaining :members Vt9-'49 provided with hook portions 5Fl- 5d within which the vdepending vertical flange -22 of the ftrackii-s received. Whenthe door has reached lthe position shown lin `Figure v'2 of the drawings release of the actuating lever HVlll will cause the weight of the door-to-become eiective to auto- "will thus be apparent that alternate bell cranks cooperate functionally to elevate the door, their ,order depending upon whether the door is open or closed. The friction encountered in the elevation of the door is greatly reduced by the employment of the rollers 41 in the bell cranks.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the door will `automatically gravitate to lowered position vwhenever the actuating lever AIl is released and swingingof the runways 25-25 occurs regardless of the position of the door. At any `position of the door intermediate its eXtreme position where release of the vlever 4I and swinging the 'door reaches :substantially one eXtreme po sition. The positionfinally yarrived at will depend upon which side ofthe pivots of the runways the rollers :are located when the runways begin to swing toinclined'position. `In the remote event these runways do nottendto assume their inclined position so as to permit the door to seat itself frictionally upon vthe track, `jarring of the car will normally overcome this condition `and athe desired frictional engagement ofthe door with the track `will be' obtained.

It YWill be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in f-the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes .be comprehended within this invention `which isvto be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. Lift mechanism for sliding car doors, said mechanism comprising a plurality of normally longitudinally inclined runways, a plurality of bell cranks operatively associated with said runways, said runways and bell cranks vbeing swingably mounted -on said door, a connecting bar for said bell cranks and a lever for actuating said bar.

2. Lift mechanism for a sliding car door adapted to be frictionally supported upon a track, said Ymechanism comprising normally longitudinally inclined runways swingably mounted upon said door, rolling means having peripheral engagement with said track and said runways and means carried by said door and cooperating with said runways `for elevating said door for support upon said rolling means, said runways moving to horizontal position in response to the elevation of said door.

3. Lift ymechanism for a sliding car door adapted to be frictionally supported upon a track, said mechanism comprising runways pivotally secured to said door, said runways being inclined longitudinally when saidV door is supported upon said track, rolling means having peripheral engagement with said runways and said track, bell 'cranks'pivcted upon sai-d door, a bar connecting said "bell cranks 'for simultaneous operation and 'a-lever for actuating lsaid bar to swing said bell cranks into engagement with said runways to elevate said door, said runways assuming a horizontal position in response to elevation of said door.

4. Lift mechanism for a sliding car door adapted to be frictionally supported upon a track, said mechanism comprising normally longitudinally inclined runways swingably mounted upon said door, rolling means having peripheral engagement with said track and said runways and means carried by said door and cooperating with said runways for elevatingsaid door for support upon said rolling means, said runways being swung to horizontal position by said door during elevation thereof and means on said door forming abutments for said runways in said horizontal position.

5. Lift mechanism for a sliding car door adapted to rbe frictionally supported upon a track, said mechanism comprising runways pivotally secured to said door, said runways being inclined longitudinally when said door is supported upon said track, rolling means having peripheral engagement with said runways and said track, bell cranks pivoted upon said door, a bar connecting said bell cranks for vsimultaneous operation and a lever for actuating said bar to swing said bell cranks into engagement with said runways to elevate said door, said runways being swung to horizontal position by elevaton of said door, certain of vsaid bell cranks being effective to elevate said door while the remaining bell cranks serve as abutments for said runways in the horizontal position thereof.` l

6. Lift mechanism for a sliding car door adapted toy befrictionally supported upon a track, said mechanism comprisingrunways pivoted intermediate their ends to said door, said runways being inclined longitudinally when said door is supported upon said track, rolling means engaging the elevated ends of said runways and said track, bell cranks pivoted upon said door, a bar connecting said bell cranks for simultaneous operation, and a lever for actuating said bar, said bell cranks bearing upon said elevated ends of said runways upon actuation of said lever to elevate said door. n

7.`Lift mechanism for a slidingcar door adapted to be frictionally supported upon a track, said mechanism comprising runways pivoted intermediate theirends to said door, said runways being inclined longitudinally when said door is supported upon said track, rolling means engaging the elevated ends oi said runways and said track and operable means carried by said door adapted to bear upon the elevated ends or" said runways for elevating said door.

8. Lift mechanism for a sliding car door adapted to be frictionally supported upon a track, said mechanism comprising runways pivoted intermediate their ends to said door, said runways being inclined longitudinally when said door is supported upon said track, rolling means engaging the elevated ends of said runways and said track, bell cranks pivoted upon said door, a bar connecting said bell cranks for simultaneous operation, and a lever for actuating said bar, said bell cranks bearing upon said elevated ends of said runways upon actuation of said lever to elevate said door, said door during elevation moving said runways to horizontal position.

9. Lift mechanism for a sliding car door adapted to be frictionally supported upon a track, said mechanism comprising runways pivoted intermediate their ends to said door, said runways being inclined longitudinally when said door is supported upon said track, rolling means engaging the elevated ends of said runways and said track, bell cranks pivoted upon said door, a bar connecting said bell cranks for simultaneous operation, a lever for actuating said bar, said bell cranks bearing upon said elevated ends of said runways upon actuation of said lever to elevate said door, said door during elevation moving said runways to horizontal position, and means carried by said door engaging the other ends of said runways `when the latter are in horizontal position.

10. Lift mechanism for a sliding car door adapted to be frictionally supported upon a track, said mechanism comprising runways pivoted intermediate their ends to said door, said runways being inclined longitudinally when said door is supported upon said track, rolling means engagl ing the elevated ends of said runways and said track, bell cranks pivoted upon said door, a bar connecting said bell cranks for simultaneous operation and certain of said bell cranks bearing upon said elevated ends of said runways upon actuation of said lever to elevate said door, said door during elevation moving said runways to horizontal position, the remaining bell cranks engaging the other ends of said runways when the latter are disposed horizontally.

KENNETH J. TOBIN. 

